Monday, March 29, 2010

When it comes to restorative pose one particular asana that remains a huge favorite of many of my students is the pose known as "Balasana or Child pose". As child in mother’s womb we stay for the first 9 months of our pre-life stage in a very particular pose. This pose even after birth and many years from then is still loved by each of us because of the feel it gives to the whole body and mind. Yogis knew the importance of that particular pose and thus came the existence of “Balasana” or “Child Pose”. The word "Bal" means Child or kid in Sanskrit and thus the name of pose as Child pose.

How to do this pose?

1] This pose has a tremendous similarity to the pose that we did long time before called as Vajrasana. Actually this pose can be just seen as an extension of that pose.
2] Start the pose by sitting in kneels down position. Make sure both the big toes are touching each other. If possible make a small cross of both the big toes.
3] Rest your Buttocks on the heels of the feet.
4] Separate both the knees and keep them apart pretty much as wide as the hips.
5] Inhale in and slowly exhaling out slowly start bending in front as much as possible. This would bring your torso down between the thighs. Try to rest the torso in between your thighs.
6] Keep your hands on the side not touching the body; keep both the palms facing upward toward the sky.
7] Stay in this pose for at least 3 to 5 min. This is a resting pose so just relax as much as possible.
8] Inhale in and slowly lift your torso upward as you finish this pose.

Caution:

1] Those who do suffer with different types of Ulcerative colitis should avoid this pose if the condition is in active stage.
2] People suffering with diarrhoea should never try this pose.
3] Pregnant women should restrain from doing this pose.

Benefits

1] Being a stage where you rest as if you resting in mother's womb one can feel the effects both on mind and body.
2] An ideal pose to work for depression, anger and other issues of the mind.
3] Stretches the hips, thighs ankles and the arms.
4] Relives back pain, neck pain due to the stretch.
5] Decreases stress and calms down the brain.

When it comes to restorative pose one particular asana that remains a huge favorite of many of my students is the pose known as "Balasana or Child pose". As child in mother’s womb we stay for the first 9 months of our pre-life stage in a very particular pose. This pose even after birth and many years from then is still loved by each of us because of the feel it gives to the whole body and mind. Yogis knew the importance of that particular pose and thus came the existence of “Balasana” or “Child Pose”. The word "Bal" means Child or kid in Sanskrit and thus the name of pose as Child pose.

How to do this pose?

1] This pose has a tremendous similarity to the pose that we did long time before called as Vajrasana. Actually this pose can be just seen as an extension of that pose.
2] Start the pose by sitting in kneels down position. Make sure both the big toes are touching each other. If possible make a small cross of both the big toes.
3] Rest your Buttocks on the heels of the feet.
4] Separate both the knees and keep them apart pretty much as wide as the hips.
5] Inhale in and slowly exhaling out slowly start bending in front as much as possible. This would bring your torso down between the thighs. Try to rest the torso in between your thighs.
6] Keep your hands on the side not touching the body; keep both the palms facing upward toward the sky.
7] Stay in this pose for at least 3 to 5 min. This is a resting pose so just relax as much as possible.
8] Inhale in and slowly lift your torso upward as you finish this pose.

Caution:

1] Those who do suffer with different types of Ulcerative colitis should avoid this pose if the condition is in active stage.
2] People suffering with diarrhoea should never try this pose.
3] Pregnant women should restrain from doing this pose.

Benefits

1] Being a stage where you rest as if you resting in mother's womb one can feel the effects both on mind and body.
2] An ideal pose to work for depression, anger and other issues of the mind.
3] Stretches the hips, thighs ankles and the arms.
4] Relives back pain, neck pain due to the stretch.
5] Decreases stress and calms down the brain.